Sustainability of Concrete Modern Concrete Technology Series

Production of Portland cement is responsible for about seven percent of the world?s greenhouse gas emissions. The pressure to make the production of concrete more sustainable, or "greener", is considerable and increasing. This requires a wholesale shift in processes, materials and methods in the concrete industry. Pure Portland cement will need to be replaced by more complex binary, tertiary or even quaternary binders, including other types of cementitious materials. We can expect an increasing use of high performance concrete, primarily because of its high sustainability and durability. Much more attention will have to be paid to the proper curing of the concrete if we want to improve its life expectancy.

Presenting the latest advances in the science of concrete this book focuses particularly on sustainability, durability, and economy. It explores the potential for increased sustainability in concrete from the initial mixing right through to its behaviour in complex structures exposed to different types of loads and aggressive environments.

Introduction. Terminology and Definitions. The Water/Cement and Water/Binder Ratios. Durability, Sustainability and Profitability. Modern Binders. Role of Water. Superplasticizers. Aggregates. Entrained Air. Hydration Reactions. Shrinkage. Curing. High Performance Concrete. Specifying High Performance Concrete. Operating a Ready Mix Plant with Consideration of the Environment.

Pierre-Claude Aïtcin is Professor Emeritus at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada and is the author of Binders for Durable and Sustainable Concrete and High Performance Concrete.

Sidney Mindess is Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada and is the co-author of Aggregates in Concrete and of Fibre Reinforced Cementitious Composites.